Category Archives: Sabbat Recipes

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The cross-quarter Sabbat of Lammas arrives around the first day of August, or when the sun is 15 degrees Leo! This is first harvest of corn and grains, when the fields grow tall and verdant and the vines are heavy with fruit, just like our Lady Goddess, her belly full as the moon. Lammas is a Greater Sabbat in the Witches’ year, as it is the apex of the summer season, and thereby is the apex of the summer power.

In the southeast United States, where I live, corn is a very big part of our harvest, with ears of sweet succulent goodness ready to be shucked and dollies woven, not to mention the tomatoes fit to bursting off the vines. It is high summer, hot and sticky!

Lammas is a “pregnant” time, full of hopefulness and expectation, wherein we begin to taste the fruits of our labors within the Great Work, and our back yard gardens alike. We tended those magickal workings at Litha, working hard to support those intentions with our sustained energies, actions and self-confidence, we now begin to prepare for the harvest with methodical planning and gentle care.

Here are a few of my favorite recipes to tickle your taste buds, and thrill your coven-mates come Lammastides.

In sauce pan, bring liquids and salt to a boil. Slowly sprinkle cornmeal into liquids while stirring constantly to break up lumps. Lower to medium-low heat and continue stirring for 10 minutes or until mixture is thick and like “grits.” Stir in cheese. Remove from heat and pour into a flat casserole dish or pie-plate. Set aside to cool and set-up or refrigerate and use later. After it is firm it can be reheated, baked or sliced and fried. Serve with Black and Gold Salad on top.

When the Sabbat of Beltane draws hot and bothered to the fore, at 15 degrees Taurus, we are once again at a Greater sabbat in the Witches’ Wheel of the Year, if not *the*Greater Sabbat. Beltane stands at the apex of the spring season, May day, in the balance across from Samhain, and is the silly, frivolous moment that keeps the mournful dearth of Samhain in equal measure. They say there is a time and a place for everything, and the Wheel of the Year covers all the bases. Beltane is the “college” of the sabbat cycle; bring on the drunken cavorting, flirtation, indulgence and dancing around the balefires. Remember, boys and girls, practice safe and responsible sex and drinking while you dance ’round those fires. Never forget Heron’s “First rule of Witchcraft:” Don’t burn the Witch.

Our God and Goddess are seen to have grown into adulthood now, and this is their sacred marriage and consummation; this is the heiros gamos. As for The Great Work, Beltane is that fertilization of the grand ideas and intentions we set for ourselves at Imbolc through the symbolic planting of the seeds, then began to sprout as new thoughts, and new ideas took their hold on us at Ostara, like that breath of fresh air. Beltane is the union of opposites, and through their merging a new channel is opened through which we may birth our endeavors come harvest time. But for now, the womb of earth and water will quicken, receive the spark of air and fire, and begin the true gestation of the Great Work for this turning.

As the coven, tribe and clans gather to dance the Maypole, crowning May King and Queen, as you set the marriage feast, here are a few favorite Beltane recipes to enjoy before you are too besotted. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do! 😉

Split open vanilla pod and add beans to rum. Mix in all ingredients except honey. Seal in a jar for two weeks. Strain and sweeten to taste with honey, add one vial of Royal Jelly and bottle. This recipe is best if left to sit for a while, but it can be served right away. I recommend no more than a swig at a time, shortly before you get….ahem…busy. Best wishes!

Directions:
In a large frying pan, fry bacon or prosciutto for a few minutes until fats have released. Add onion and garlic and saute until pork is crisp and onions glossy. Drain off the grease. Separately, steam asparagus spears about 8 minutes until they are tender firm, rinse in cool water, then chop into bite sized pieces. In a large bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Add asparagus, sauteed mixture, chick-peas, and parsley. Gently turn the mixture until well coated.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Zest the lemons by peeling off the yellow parts of the skin with a potato peeler, then finely minsing with a knife. In a small bowl, blend the zest, herbs and spices.

Wash and dry chicken pieces and arrange in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle half the olive oil over the chicken, sprinkle half the zest/herb mix evenly over the chicken.
Cut potatoes, carrots and onion into bite-sized chunks. Mix thoroughly with the rest of the olive oil and remaining zest mix, and the juice of the two lemons. Pour evenly into a deep baking dish. Bake both dishes uncovered, on the same rack in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until chicken is no longer pink, and the skin is crisp and brown. Once while cooking, stir the vegetables. If at end of cooking the chicken and veggies aren’t brown enough, try about 5 minutes under a low broiler, but watch it like a hawk so that it doesn’t burn.

Saute vegetables in butter until soft–5 min.
Reduce heat to med-low and stir in flour and spices.
Stirring constantly, add milk slowly until boiling and slightly thickened–about 5 minutes. Whisk in tomatoes and their juice. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes–chunk the cream cheese and stir into the soup until dissolved. Process one blender-full of the soup until smooth, add back to the pot and reheat. Sprinkle each serving with grated Parmesan and fresh basil.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place frozen pie shells on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. In a skillet, brown bacon until crisp then discard the fat. Add spinach and cook over medium heat until warmed through. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl toss cheese and flour together. In another bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper with a hand mixer or whisk until frothy, add green onions.
To assemble quiches, evenly divide the bacon mixture to form a layer in each pie shell. Evenly divide cheese mixture to form a layer in each pie shell. Then pour half of the egg mixture over the cheese layer. With a fork, gently prod the mixture so that the liquids can soak to the bottom without actually stirring the layers together. Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg over the top of both pies. Place them in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until the surface of the pies is solid and springs back to the touch. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Ostara Sabbat rolls around as the sun enters the sign of Aries, between March 20-22, and initiates the season of spring. Ostara is the Spring Equinox, the liminal time, or the gateway time holding in the balance the ending of Winter and the birth of Spring. This is a low ebb in the flow of energy on The Wheel of the Year, and so is considered a quarter, or lesser sabbat. Yet is always a welcomed moment to bid adieu to Old man Winter, and welcome in the fresh breath of Lady Spring.
The mythos at this time tells the story of the Maiden Goddess, Persephone, Ostara, Eostre, fully returned now from her underworld journey, who steps foot upon the earth again and with each step, the snows recede and the sprouting seeds break through the surface of the earth. As the world awakens, the branches budding out, the Goddess too, blossoms into her full womanhood as the flowers that rise, opening their eyes, lifting their faces into the golden dawn. The Lad, the Jack of the Green, the Stag grown strong, entering manhood as the sun strengthens, and the animals of the wild emerge from their deep sleep to seek out their mates, and feather their nests. It is the time of the hare, fertility, and for gaily colored eggs shared as a blessing between friends and neighbors.

Here are a few of my favorite spring time dishes to try for your Ostara sabbat feast.

Directions:
In large mixing bowl, add Bulgar wheat and the boiling water and let it sit for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, chop and add your green onions, parsley, mint and tomatoes. Mix everything together with the remaining ingredients. It is best if let sit for a while prior to serving.

Scoop the yellow yolks of the eggs into a wide, flat bowl and mash with a fork. Add all the rest of the ingredients except paprika. Mix thoroughly with a spatula. Taste it and see if you like it…adjust as needed. Too sweet? Add a bit more salt. Too sour? Add a bit more pickle relish or sugar.Want more ZIP? Try a bit more vinegar. I like my eggs pretty zippy.

Take a gallon zip lock bag, stuff a corner of it into an empty coffee cup and fold down the top of the bag over the edge of the cup. With the spatula, shovel all the mix into the bag, using the edge of the cup to scrape the spatula clean. Close the bag, squishing all the mix into one corner, burping the bag for any air bubbles, and sealing shut. Twist the bag to push down the mix and use like a pastry bag. Cut about a half inch corner off with the scissors, and squeeze the mix back into the eggs, using a bit more than the indention will hold, until all gone. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on each egg as a garnish.

Imbolc is the cross-quarter Sabbat on the Wheel of the Year when the sun reaches 15 degrees Aquarius, around the calendar date of February 1st. Imbolc is the apex of the winter season, and therefore a time of heightened magickal power. It is celebration of first milk and with that the first promise of coming spring. It is a time of making dedications to the Great Work of the next turning; it is a time of blessing the tools of our work, and planting the seeds of our intentions.

This is also the time during the Wiccan mythos of the year, when we welcome back the Goddess as the Maiden, recovered now from her childbirth labors at Yule and renewed again as the young lass, like the slender shoots of crocus flower, peeking through the snows. The God, too, has grown from his infancy at Yule, and we welcome him back as the Lad, the Youthful God, like the wild young buck, or the green sapling. I envision them both like teenagers, full of innocence and wonder, shyness and and daring, like the plucky stealing of kisses, and the blush on their cheeks. Its the quickening of the heartbeat at receipt of a valentine, it is the betrothal. On Imbolc, I celebrate the magick of promise and promises.

When the tribe joins together for Imbolc we bless those seeds of promise, and dedicate the The Great Work of the year. Sometimes we consecrate new tools, but we always bless the earth with seed, milk, ash of the Yule log, and intention.

But first, the feast! Here are a few of my better winter recipes, excellent for Imbolctide feasts of first milk, and of new love!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch bunt pan.
In large bowl, mix all ingredients except chips. Beat until well blended. Batter will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. (The toothpick test does not work; it would come out gooey even when it is done.) Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto serving plate to cool completely.

This is so rich it does not need icing, but you can top with chopped strawberries.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch bunt pan.
In large bowl, mix all ingredients except chips. Beat until well blended. Batter will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips. Spoon into prepared pan. Bake for 60 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. (The toothpick test does not work; it would come out gooey even when it is done.) Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out onto serving plate to cool completely.

Melt raspberry preserves in the microwave and then drizzle over the cake.

Heat a few tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion, eggplant, mushrooms and bell pepper for about 10 minutes or until until all are glossy and soft. Add can of tomatoes, salsa, vinegar and salt. Cook 2 minutes more. Add cheese and milk, stir to melt. Remove from heat. Add noodles to the vegetables and gently turn the mixture to incorporate. Serve with a hot sauce like Texas Pete or black pepper.

There is nothing better than a Sabbat feast with friends and family! Litha, or the Summer Solstice, arrives when we enter the sign of Cancer, between June 20-22. The sun is at his zenith, his hottest, on this longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Yet, we enter the water sign of cancer! What a great time to beat the heat with a family picnic and splashing in the water!

It is a time of celebration and relaxation, after much of the planting is done, we maintain and nurture the crops, but there is once again some time to sit back and enjoy watching things grow. I am reminded of the old song…

“Summertime, and the living is easy.

Fish are jumping, and the cotton is high….”

This Solstice, here are a few fun recipes to bring to the family reunion, or Sabbat picnic. I like to remember at those moments that our gods of the good earth provide for our needs; and not just our bare sustenance, nay…we may revel in the joyful, tasty, succulent, delicious, intoxicating abundance, and take good care of both “ye olde meat suit” but also our emotional and “spirit”ual needs as well. Here are a few of my tried and true feast-worthy delights.

In a skillet heat oil over medium heat, cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic about 5 minutes until tender. Stir in zucchini, beans and basil and cook covered until veggies are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, toss together vegetable mixture, cooked noodles, and remaining ingredients except the cheese. Cover and refrigerate a few hours. Add cheese just before serving and toss lightly.

Re-Tox Dirty Lemonade

This alcoholic beverage takes the classic “lemonade detox diet” to sunken depths of toxic debauchery much like a mojito, but hey, it’s summer time and “all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.” I don’t know about you, but I like my cocktails like I like my lovers: sweet, dirty, and intoxicating. ENJOY!